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On the eve of the Enthronement, Peter Smith of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette interviewed His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph and His Beatitude John X of Antioch and All the East for an article titled "Antiochan Orthodox installing new leader: N. American diocese celebrates its roots." Published on December 6, 2014, reporter Smith explained that those under 50 years of age cannot remember the last enthronement of an Antiochian metropolitan.

"This event means to us a lot — joy for the faithful in America and the homeland," Patriarch John was quoted as saying in the article, adding, "We are one family."

The Gazette reporter also noted that Metropolitan Joseph believes that he is "on equal footing with the newest of converts. 'Even though I was born in the faith, I have to convert to the faith daily by practicing the faith and doing virtuous and Christian actions,'" His Eminence explained.

2. In addition, there will be a College Retreat the weekend of Orthodoxy Sunday, February 27—March 1, 2015. The topic is "Standing at the Foot of the Cross and the speakers are Fr. Anthony Yazge, Marek Simon, & Chris Shadid. Please register online at www.avcamp.org.

The truth of things revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, a model of meekness, and a teacher of temperance. Therefore thou hast won the heights by humility, riches by poverty. Holy Father Nicholas, intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Kontakion, Tone 3

Thou wast a faithful minister of God in Myra, O Saint Nicholas. For having fulfilled the Gospel of Christ, thou didst die for the people and save the innocent. Therefore thou wast sanctified as a great initiator of the grace of God.

The truth of things revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, a model of meekness, and a teacher of temperance. Therefore thou hast won the heights by humility, riches by poverty. Holy Father Nicholas, intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

His Grace will be concelebrating the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Saturday, December 6, 2014, at the St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Brooklyn, along with His Eminence, Metropolitan Niphon, Antiochian Patriarchal Representative to the Church of Russia.

Bishop Nicholas will be speaking on "The Life and Ministry of St. Raphael of Brooklyn." In 2015 the Archdiocese will be marking the 100th anniversary of the beloved saint's repose with a year-long series of events commemorating the milestone.

Uganda is an Oregon-sized country in East Africa, 20 hours away by air and nine time zones ahead of us, and yet, by Faith we are family. Since just after World War II, canonical Orthodoxy has been part of the life of Uganda, spread not by missionaries but rather by Ugandans themselves who sought out and found the apostolic Christian Faith they were seeking, a Faith they chose rather than accept the faiths of the colonial powers that ruled them until the early 1960's.

The Ugandan Orthodox Church is led by His Eminence Metropolitan Jonah, himself the son of the leader of those who discovered Orthodoxy and brought it to Uganda. It is a young church, vital, and working in a culture where old and new are intertwined and some traditional brick houses have solar panels to make sure the cell phones are charged every night.

On November 29 and 30, 2014, His All-Holiness Bartholomew welcomed His Holiness Pope Francis to the Ecumenical Patriarchate during the Pope's three-day visit to Turkey. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew had extended the invitation to the Pope during His Holiness’ inaugural Mass in March 2013.

This visit followed a tradition established by Pope Francis’ predecessors, Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, to visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the Thronal Feast of St. Andrew, the first-called of the Apostles and founder of the Church of Constantinople.

In a joint declaration signed by the Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew after the Divine Liturgy commemorating the Feast, the two noted that "Many of our brothers and sisters are being persecuted and have been forced violently from their homes." They continued, "It even seems that the value of human life has been lost, that the human person no longer matters and may be sacrificed to other interests. And, tragically, all this is met by the indifference of many."

Patriarch John X of Antioch, Syria, and Metropolitan Joseph will be available for brief personal interviews Friday Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. NO OTHER INTERVIEWS WILL BE GRANTED BEFORE OR AFTER ENTHRONEMENT EVENTS. If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact John Righetti at information below.

If you would like to attend the enthronement service , you MUST have a press pass from the Antiochian Archdiocese. Again, contact John Righetti to secure a pass. NO MEDIA WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE ENTHRONEMENT WITHOUT A PASS.

His Grace Bishop Thomas of the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic, paid a special visit to the community at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (STOTS) on Tuesday, November 18, 2014. His Grace has been a long-time supporter of St. Tikhon's, and came to meet with the students as well as to meet with STOTS Dean The Very Rev. Dr. Steven Voytovich.

His Grace toured the Seminary and Monastery grounds, and spoke to students during the lunch hour. "I always enjoy coming to St. Tikhon's because every time I visit I see people who are filled with joy," he commented. He also reminded those assembled of the importance of remaining joyful, and asked that they bring that same virtue out into the world as they minister to others for Christ.

The Liturgical Texts for the month of December, blessed by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, are now ready for clergy and laity to download from the Online Liturgical Guide.

This month, Orthodox Christians find themselves in the midst of the forty-day Fast in preparation of the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. Fr. Alexander Schmemann of blessed memory called this time of year the "Winter Pascha" because, as Fr. Thomas Hopko puts it, "He was worshipped by wise men that the whole of creation might adore Him in His triumph over death."

In anticipation of many parishes offering divine services on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, the Online Liturgical Guide now features Daily Vespers and Divine Liturgy Variables for the American holiday.

Warm Christmas Greetings and Best Wishes from our home to you and your beloved parishioners. May the joy and peace of this Holy Season shine in your hearts now and throughout the New Year!

+Metropolitan JosephArchbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America

Christ is in our Midst!

As has been the practice each year around this time, we are distributing the attached Sunday Liturgical Calendar for 2015 with a greeting from His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph.

This calendar will be posted on www.antiochian.org but we will not be sending a paper copy through regular mail in order to save some time and money.

This calendar conforms in every respect to the one which was recently sent to us from the offices of the Patriarchate of Antioch. Any discrepancy that may exist in other calendars occurred because they were published before the Patriarchal calendar was made available to us.

In preparation for the Enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph and the related events planned for December 6–8, 2014, a new Media Information page to aid members of the press is accessible on Antiochian.org. Resources include basic descriptions and links for the Patriarchate of Antioch, the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, and the ancient Church of Antioch. Official portraits are available for Patriarch John X and Metropolitan Joseph, as well as biographical information and links to further information about Orthodox Christianity and Christians in the Middle East.

The Enthronement of Metropolitan Joseph will be held at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York. Dignitaries from around the world will be present, include hierarchs, clergy, diplomats, and many faithful. The event will be blessed with the presence of His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, who will preside over the weekend.

Update, 11-26-14: With close to 800 people coming, the Gala Banquet for the enthronement is now sold out! Please do not send in checks for any more tickets or try to purchase online. If there is an emergency situation, please contact Fr. Thomas Zain at abounathomas@me.com. We thank you for your strong support of this event.

Renovations are underway at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY in preparation for the Enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph. The Enthronement and related events will take place during the weekend of December 5 through 7, 2014, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York. The actual enthronement will take place in conjunction with a Prayer of Thanksgiving on Saturday, December 6. We will be greatly blessed by the presence of His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, who will preside during this weekend.

Torah to the Gentiles, by Fr. Marc Boulos, is the latest release by the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Biblical Studies (OCABS), a center established to educate, inspire and challenge the faithful to recognize the centrality of sound biblical interpretation for life in Christ. The letter to the Galatians, notes the author, offers a brief but demanding exposition of the teaching of the Older Testament for a Gentile audience.

Highlighting the Bible's struggle against idolatry, power, and human identity, St. Paul's letter exposes Jerusalem's fatal misreading of biblical circumcision: a practice given to remove social barriers had been co-opted to build the same. By imposing their religious identity and practices on the gentiles, the Pillars of Jerusalem had betrayed the Torah, offering things that pass away as though they were eternal. Worse, they had done so at the expense of the weaker brother. Having been liberated by God from the worship of Caesar, why would the Galatians now turn to another human master?

Father Marc Boulos is pastor of St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church, in Eagan, Minnesota. He and Dr. Richard Benton co-host The Bible as Literature Podcast, a weekly discussion of the biblical narrative and its implications for everyday life. He is also co-founder of the Ephesus School, a biblical studies program for children and adults that emphasizes the Bible's self-sufficiency for teaching in lieu of modern theories of religious education.

Every year, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America designates the Sunday before the celebration of Thanksgiving Day as a "Day of Sharing" to benefit the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). The official humanitarian aid agency of the Assembly, the IOCC is supported by generous donations from Orthodox Christians. Information about IOCC Sunday, including the Assembly of Bishops encyclical, Sunday bulletin inserts, a donation portal, and links for volunteering with the IOCC, are available on the IOCC Sunday landing page.

The IOCC has provided emergency aid, development tools, and resources to the needy around the world since 1992, and currently serves over 50 nations. The relief organization has been particularly active in recent years in the Middle East, alleviating the suffering caused by the ongoing strife in Gaza and in Syria, where people have lived for several years under civil war.

Come enjoy a weekend of spiritual retreat and fellowship with other Orthodox Christian college students. We will have discussions, daily services, and conclude the weekend by celebrating Sunday of Orthodoxy together! Registration is now open!

[SVOTS Communications / Yonkers, NY] When Patriarch John X (Yazigi), Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, visits the United States this fall, he will receive not only warm wishes but also a charitable gift from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary. The gift, intended to aid suffering Orthodox Christians in Syria, will be presented to His Beatitude in December and will represent a tithe (one-tenth) of the Seminary's #GivingTuesday appeal.

"Life has a deeper meaning than fighting crowds on Black Friday or scouring the web for the best deals on Cyber Monday," said seminary Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield. "That's why St. Vladimir's is participating in #GivingTuesday, a national day of charitable giving.

Ancient Faith Publishing (formerly known as Conciliar Press) has released their 2014 Christmas Catalog. Four new designs for Christmas cards are available, as well as popular sets from previous years. A beautiful array of Orthodox Christmas ornaments are in this year's selection of holiday items as well.

One of the perennial favorites from Ancient Faith is the yearly icon calendar. This year's theme, "Icons of the Virgin Mary," features the work of contemporary American iconographers, in both Julian and New Calendar versions. The 11" X 12" full-color calendar is organized with large calendar boxes for recording important date reminders. Major saint and feast days traditionally celebrated in Orthodox countries around the world are listed.

Supreme Leaders of the Heavenly Hosts, we implore you that by your prayers you will encircle us, unworthy as we are, with the protection of the wings of your immaterial glory and guard us who fall down before you and fervently cry: deliver us from dangers, for you are the commanders of the powers above.

-Troparion of the Feast, Tone 4

O Archangel Michael whose countenance is like lightning, gleaming in an ineffable manner with the illuminations of the Trinity, of exceeding divine brilliancy, thou dost traverse the whole creation like lightning, fulfilling the divine command, watching over, preserving, and sheltering those who joyfully laud thee.

The 2015 Orthodox Christian Camp and Youth Worker Conference, with the theme "Walking Alongside our Youth," will be held at Antiochian Village on January 22-24. The Conference, now in its 13th year, exists to bring all Orthodox Christians doing youth ministry at any level and in any form together for several days to further their education, foster brotherhood, and provide fellowship. Each year a different jurisdiction of the Orthodox Churches in the United States hosts the Conference, with the input and direction provided by the Orthodox Christian Camp Association and national Church Youth Department directors.

For the weekend Bishop Thomas presided over all of the events. On Friday morning the parish had the funeral of the oldest parishioner, Lorraine George, who was 98. Bishop Thomas arrived before to be able to serve the funeral.

On Friday evening there was a potluck dinner to which the parishioners brought many different kinds of delicious fast-day foods.

On Saturday, Bishop Thomas went to visit his family’s restaurant in Wilkes-Barre and enjoy hot dogs and hamburgers from Abe’s Restaurant on Main Street. He reminisced there about his family during the meal. (View the photo gallery of the festive weekend.)